The ovaries are two in number and represent the female gonads. It is the ovaries that produce the eggs and are therefore part of the female reproductive system.

The ovary is covered by a single layer of surface epithelial cells (SEOs) that vary in morphology in vivo from squamous to cuboidal to low columnar. SEOs are actively involved in the cyclic rupture of ovulatory follicles and their subsequent repair. ESOs express a variety of peptide hormones, sex steroids, growth factors and receptors. Many of these biological agents have been implicated in the development of epithelial ovarian carcinomas and sexually transmitted infections. Understanding aberrations in the corresponding cellular pathways is of great clinical importance as they provide useful information regarding survival, apoptosis, transformation and function of OSE cells during disease development and potential markers for disease treatment.